Welcome! If this is your first time visiting Jason Hartman's website, please read this page to learn more about what we do here. You may also be interested in receiving updates from our podcast via RSS or via email if you prefer. If you have any questions about financial survival feel free to contact us anytime! Thanks!

Perhaps a better question is when does a survival hatchet NOT come in handy? A multi-purpose hatchet is an excellent tool to consider as a basic part of your gear collection for WTSHTF (acronym for When The S!*& Hits The Fan). It doesn’t matter whether you’re heading for Unabomber land out in Wyoming or simply trying to make preparations for city survival in the event of disaster, a survival hatchet is a really good idea, and cheap too.

For the survivalist, multi-purpose tools can be a blessing and a curse. The problem is that some manufacturers incorporate so many tools into the design that not a single one of them functions very well. Keep an eye peeled for what appears to be flimsy construction. If you can wiggle things around too much during first inspection, there’s a good chance it’s not going to last long in the field and will invariably fail when you need it most. Online survivalist forums are a good way to find out what has worked for others in the past.

Some name brands have been around for generations and can be trusted. Swiss army knives are a good example of this. Gerber is a company well known for creating functional, sturdy camping supplies like hatchets. One we found on Amazon not only has a nice ax blade, but built in crowbar, hammer and nail-remover, all tucked into a modestly sized tool and sold for eight bucks. If you ever need to dig, chop, hack, pry, break, pound, lift – you get the idea – this is a solid, inexpensive way to fill the bill. Consider the occasion where you might be on the move or need to make a quick grab and dash. A simple survival hatchet tucked into your belt could replace an armload of tools.

Urban survivalists, often apartment-dwellers with a minimum of space, should especially appreciate the way this could be stored in your bugout bag and barely noticed. Generators, fancy GPS devices and and a tasty food stash are high on every forward thinker’s list of survival items but, for the money, it’s tough to beat a cheap, sturdy hatchet for value and utility.